40th anniversary of the last man on the moon

December 7, 2012 1:18 PM

Photo:

Image 1of/27

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 27

In this May 25, 1961 file photo, President John F. Kennedy speaks in the House of Representatives before a joint session of Congress in Washington. In the background are Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, left, and House Speaker Sam Rayburn. During that speech, Kennedy issued the challenge for NASA to send a man to the moon. That challenge that was met on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11's lunar module landed on the moon. (AP) less

In this May 25, 1961 file photo, President John F. Kennedy speaks in the House of Representatives before a joint session of Congress in Washington. In the background are Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, left, ... more

In this May 25, 1961 file photo, President John F. Kennedy speaks... Photo-3859717.53569 - Houston Chronicle

Image 2 of 27

Astronaut Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. Aldrin and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong were the first men to walk on the lunar surface with temperatures ranging from 243 degrees above to 279 degrees below zero. Astronaut Michael Collins flew the command module. The trio was launched to the moon by a Saturn V launch vehicle at 9:32 a.m. EDT, July 16, 1969. They departed the moon July 21, 1969. (AP Photo/NASA/Neil A. Armstrong) (AP) less

Astronaut Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr. poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. Aldrin and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong were the first men ... more

This photo, released by NASA July 20, 1969, shows an Apollo 11 southeasterly view of the lunar far side. International Astronomical Union crater no. 308 is at the bottom of the photo. This crater is about 58 miles in diamter. Near the center of the photograph, a small apex crater (less than one statute mile in diameter) rests on a nearby conical shaped hill, which is on the common rim of two adjacent unnamed large craters (about 20 and 9 miles in diameter respectively). (AP photo/NASA) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) less

This photo, released by NASA July 20, 1969, shows an Apollo 11 southeasterly view of the lunar far side. International Astronomical Union crater no. 308 is at the bottom of the photo. This crater is about 58 ... more

This photo, released by NASA July 20, 1969, shows an Apollo 11... Photo-3859720.53569 - Houston Chronicle

Image 4 of 27

The earth is shown rising above the moon's horizon as seen from the Apollo 11 spacecraft, July, 1969. (AP photo/NASA) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The earth is shown rising above the moon's horizon as seen from the Apollo 11 spacecraft, July, 1969. (AP photo/NASA) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Air Force Col. Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr. became the first men to walk on the moon after blastoff from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on July 16, 1969. They headed back home from the lunar surface on July 21, 1969. The end of man's first voyage to another planet ended with a splashdown 950 miles southwest of Hawaii, thus achieving President John F.Kennedy's challenge to land men on the moon before the end of the 1960s. (AP Photo/NASA) (AP) less

A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon on July 20, 1969. Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Air Force Col. Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr. ... more

A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission... Photo-3859722.53569 - Houston Chronicle

Apollo 15 Lunar Rover alone, looking north, the west edge of Mount Hadley is at upper right edge of picture, the most distant lunar feature visible is about 25 km away, July 1969. (AP-Photo/NASA-HO) (AP)

Apollo 15 Lunar Rover alone, looking north, the west edge of Mount Hadley is at upper right edge of picture, the most distant lunar feature visible is about 25 km away, July 1969. (AP-Photo/NASA-HO) (AP)

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. walks on the surface of the moon, July 30, 1969, with seismogaphic equipment which he just set up. The flag like object on a pole is a solar wind experiment and in the background is the Lunar Landing Module. (AP Photo/NASA/Neil Armstrong) (AP Photo/NASA/Neil Armstrong) (AP) less

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. walks on the surface of the moon, July 30, 1969, with seismogaphic equipment which he just set up. The flag like object on a pole is a solar wind experiment and in the background ... more

Astronaut Eugene A. Carnan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Taurtus-Littrow landing site. (AP/NASA PHOTO) (AP)

Astronaut Eugene A. Carnan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Taurtus-Littrow landing site. (AP/NASA PHOTO) (AP)

Three NASA personnel suited in space-flight restraining gear prepare to climb aboard the Apollo Spacecraft April 6, 1962. This preliminary mock-up model was placed on display April 6. 13ft. wide and 12ft. high, this command module will be the most complex manned flight device ever designed and built for earth orbit and lunar landing. (AP Photo) (AP) less

Three NASA personnel suited in space-flight restraining gear prepare to climb aboard the Apollo Spacecraft April 6, 1962. This preliminary mock-up model was placed on display April 6. 13ft. wide and 12ft. ... more

A December 1968 file photo picture shows the Apollo 8 crew, from left: commander Frank Borman, command module pilot James A. Lovell, Jr., and lunar module pilot William A. Anders. Dec. 21, 2008 sees the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 8 mission bringing Mission Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders as the first humans ever to another celestial body. The mission during which the Apollo 8 crew became the first humans to see the far side of the Moon, paved the way for later missions including Apollo 11 to land the first man on the Moon in 1969. (AP Photo/Stf, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) less

This photo, released by NASA Dec. 30, 1968, shows the view of the rising earth that greeted the Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the moon after the lunar orbit insertion burn. Dec. 21, 2008 sees the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 8 mission bringing Mission Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders as the first humans ever to another celestial body. The mission during which the Apollo 8 crew became the first humans to see the far side of the Moon, paved the way for later missions including Apollo 11 to land the first man on the Moon in 1969. (AP Photo/NASA, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) less

This photo, released by NASA Dec. 30, 1968, shows the view of the rising earth that greeted the Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the moon after the lunar orbit insertion burn. Dec. 21, 2008 sees the ... more

Neil Armstrong, flight commander of the Apollo 11 space flight, steps from a command module mockup during egress training in the Gulf of Mexico, July 8, 1969. Armstrong slated to be the first man to set foot upon the moon, wear a Biological Isolation garment, (BIG), which all Apollo 11 crew members will wear when returning to earth. Man at left is unidentified. (AP Photo/NASA) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) less

Neil Armstrong, flight commander of the Apollo 11 space flight, steps from a command module mockup during egress training in the Gulf of Mexico, July 8, 1969. Armstrong slated to be the first man to set foot ... more

Edwin Buzz Aldrin carries scientific experiments to a deployment site south of the lunar module Eagle. One experiment involved the inner composition of the moon, and another tried to determine the exact distance from Earth. Photo was taken by Neil Armstrong of the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. (AP Photo/NASA/Neil Armstrong) (AP) less

Edwin Buzz Aldrin carries scientific experiments to a deployment site south of the lunar module Eagle. One experiment involved the inner composition of the moon, and another tried to determine the exact ... more

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot, descends steps of Lunar Module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon, July 20, 1969. This picture was taken by astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Commander, with a 70mm surface camera. (AP Photo/NASA/Neil A. Armstrong) (AP) less

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot, descends steps of Lunar Module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon, July 20, 1969. This picture was taken by astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Commander, ... more

This photo, released by NASA on Dec. 29, 1968, shows the view of the rising Earth that greeted Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the moon after the lunar orbit insertion burn. The Earth is about five degrees above the horizon in this photo. The unnamed surface features in the foreground are near the eastern limb of the moon as viewed from Earth. Dec. 21, 2008 sees the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 8 mission bringing Mission Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot James Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders as the first humans ever to another celestial body. The mission during which the Apollo 8 crew became the first humans to see the far side of the Moon, paved the way for later missions including Apollo 11 to land the first man on the Moon in 1969. (AP photo/Nasa, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) less

This photo, released by NASA on Dec. 29, 1968, shows the view of the rising Earth that greeted Apollo 8 astronauts as they came from behind the moon after the lunar orbit insertion burn. The Earth is about five ... more

In this July 20, 1969 file photo, astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot, descends steps of Lunar Module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon. A California preservation panel has taken the unusual step of naming the Apollo 11 moon landing site as a state historical resource, according to a report Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/NASA, File) (AP) less

In this July 20, 1969 file photo, astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot, descends steps of Lunar Module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon. A California preservation panel has taken the ... more

Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed working beside a huge boulder at Station 6 during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, Dec. 13, 1972. (AP Photo/NASA) (AP) less

Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed working beside a huge boulder at Station 6 during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, Dec. 13, 1972. (AP ... more

This August 2011 image made available by NASA shows paths left by walking astronauts, single lines, and lunar buggy tracks, parallel lines, from the 1972 U.S. Apollo 17 moon mission. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter made this and other photographs of lunar landing sites from 13 to 15 miles above the moon's surface. (AP Photo/NASA) (AP) less

This August 2011 image made available by NASA shows paths left by walking astronauts, single lines, and lunar buggy tracks, parallel lines, from the 1972 U.S. Apollo 17 moon mission. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance ... more

This August 2011 image made available by NASA shows paths left by... Photo-3859743.53569 - Houston Chronicle